Richard James Nelson (born May 20, 1986) is an American politician, engineer, attorney, former Representative of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (french: link=no, Chambre des Représentants de Louisiane) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 repr ...

representing Louisiana's 89th district. currently serving as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue. He was a candidate for

governor of Louisiana A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in the 2023 election.

Early life and education

Richard Nelson was born on May 20, 1986, in McAllen, Texas, to Michael and Deborah Nelson. He is the second of four children. Nelson graduated from

Mandeville High School Mandeville High School is a public high school located in Mandeville, Louisiana, United States, a suburban city located thirty miles north of New Orleans. It is part of the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools system. Mandeville High School is a coe ...

in 2004. While in high school, he also became an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

. Nelson graduated ''

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

'' from Louisiana State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in

Biological engineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...

. He graduated from

Paul M. Hebert Law Center The Paul M. Hebert Law Center, often styled "LSU Law", is a public law school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is part of the Louisiana State University System and located on the main campus of Louisiana State University. Because Louisiana is a c ...

in 2010. Nelson was a member of the

Louisiana Law Review The Paul M. Hebert Law Center, often styled "LSU Law", is a public law school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is part of the Louisiana State University System and located on the main campus of Louisiana State University. Because Louisiana is a ci ...

and Order of the Coif.

Career

After he graduated law school, Nelson joined the US Foreign Service as a Security Engineering Officer and diplomat. He served in Frankfurt, Germany, Tbilisi, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., while also leading projects in regions such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Libya. During his career with the State Department, Nelson earned several

awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

including the

Meritorious Honor Award The Meritorious Honor Award is an award of the United States Department of State. Similar versions of the same award exist for the former U.S. Information Agency, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and USAID. It is presented to groups or indiv ...

and the

Superior Honor Award The Superior Honor Award is an award of the United States Department of State. Similar versions of the same award exist for the former U.S. Information Agency, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and USAID. It is presented to groups or individ ...

. Nelson resigned from the State Department in 2017 to work for a consulting firm in his hometown of Mandeville, Louisiana. He launched his own consulting company in 2020. Nelson ran for State Representative in 2019 nonpartisan primary election as one of four

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. He ran for office on the platform of eliminating the income tax in Louisiana. Nelson won in the run-off

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

against a fellow Republican and was sworn into office on January 13, 2020. In 2023, Belson ran for Governor of the State of Louisiana, eventually withdrawing from the race and endorsing front runner Jeff Landry.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Landry In 2024, Governor Landry appointed Nelson to serve as the Secretary to the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Personal life

Nelson and his wife, Ashley, have three sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Richard Republican Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives 1986 births Living people People from McAllen, Texas Louisiana State University alumni Louisiana State University Law Center alumni 21st-century American diplomats People from Mandeville, Louisiana 21st-century American politicians